How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Pillowcase? All Size

No matter what fabric you choose for your pillowcase, you certainly need to buy the right amount of fabric. So, as a newbie in sewing, this can make you overwhelmed – how much fabric do I need for a pillowcase?

The range of required fabric is 1 yard to 3 yards. For king size pillowcase, 2.3 yards of fabrics are fine. And thus, you will need 2 yards for a queen or standard-size pillowcase, 1.3 yards for a travel pillowcase, and 0.5-yard fabric for a toddler pillowcase.

So, it’s clear that pillowcases have some variations like king size, queen size, standard size, and some specially made pillowcases. Including this factor, the design of the pillowcase, fabric type, and some other things affect the required fabric amount. The below guide will make relevant things clear.

What Kind of Fabric to Make a DIY Pillow Case?

You have to choose a fabric that goes with your needs and of course, will give you a comfortable feeling, right? Various types of fabrics with various properties are available in the market for making DIY pillowcases. It’s a little hard to choose the right one for you. Let’s make it easy.

• Cotton: Cotton like Egyptian cotton and jersey cotton is one of the most used fabrics for pillowcases due to its super soft and absorbent properties. It’s wonderfully thin, breathable, and also easy to clean.
• Linen: Linen will always give you a comfortable feel whether it’s winter or summer. That means it keeps you too warm in winter and too cool in summer. It’s a high-quality and luxurious fabric that is lightweight, sustainable, and breathable.
• Satin: If you are concerned about your skin and hair, then satin is an ideal material for your pillowcase. It’s a very soft and shiny fabric. It keeps the skin parts smooth that come in contact to this fabric. It’s durable enough and less prone to wrinkles. But it requires regal care.
• Silk: Silk has a very similar appearance to satin. It gives you a desirable feel but is more delicate than satin. It’s a little costly. If you have budget, then you can go for it.
• Flannel: Flannel is popular for its warmth and softness characteristics. But it’s suitable for winter and autumn, not for summer.

How to Measure How Much Fabric to Make a Pillowcase?

Pillows come in different sizes. If you don’t know the size of your pillow, you should measure it using a fabric measuring tape. You can follow the steps below:

• Step 1: First, lay the pillow flat on your bed.
• Step 2: Now, measure the width of the pillow. Start from the top seam and go all the way to the bottom.
• Step 3: What if you don’t see any seams? No worries, just wrap the measuring tape vertically around the pillow from one end to the other. The result you will get needs to be divided by 2. You can note it down as the width.
• Step 4: Now you need to measure the length of your pillow. Hold the tape on one side edge of the pillow and take it to the other side edge; in simpler words, from side to side. Note it down as the length.
• Step 5: Finally, in order to sew the seams of your pillowcase, you will need to slightly increase the length and width of your pillow measurements.

To the length: for your pillowcase’s closed end, you need to add a quarter inch and for the open end you need to add half an inch so that you can fold under the seam.

Lastly, for the overhang, you can add about three to five inches.
To the width: simply add half an inch to your original measurement.

How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Pillowcase?

There are a variety of pillow sizes, such as King, Queen, Standard, and so on. The amount of fabric you will need to make a pillowcase will depend on the size of your pillow.

If you already know the size of your pillow, you can follow the measurements below. If you don’t know what the size of your pillow is, you can follow the method of measuring that we talked about above.

For a King Size Pillow

A king-size pillowcase generally measures 20 inches in width and 36 inches in length but some stores may sell king-size pillowcases that are a bit larger.
But when you are sewing a pillowcase yourself, you need to consider the seam allowance and additional features. That’s why you can follow the measurements below for different styles of king-size pillowcases.

A king-size pillowcase with a hidden zipper:

A standard bolt of cotton fabric measures 44 to 45 inches in width. If you purchase a 45 inches wide fabric, you can fit two king-size pillowcases with an invisible zipper in that width. You will get some scraps after cutting out the measures. To make two king-size pillowcases, it requires 2.3 yards of fabric.

If you take a 58 inches wide fabric, you will still be able to fit only two king-size pillowcases with invisible zippers in that width. But you will have some more scraps this time.

A king-size envelope pillowcase:

Inner flap or envelope pillowcases will require more fabric than pillowcases with an invisible zipper. If you take a standard 45 inches wide fabric, you can fit two king-size pillowcases because two pillowcases with inner flaps will require 2.5 yards of fabric.

Similarly, in 58 inches wide fabric, you can fit two king-size envelope pillowcases which will require the same amount of fabric; 2.5 yards.

For a Queen-Size or Standard-Size Pillow

In general, a queen-size pillowcase is 20 inches in width and 30 inches in length, and a standard-size pillowcase is 20 inches in width and 26 inches in length. But you can make a queen and standard-size pillowcase with the same measurement. Follow the instructions below:

A queen-size or standard-size pillow (invisible zipper):

You can fit two queen or standard-size pillowcases in 45 inches wide fabric. They will have an invisible zipper, but no inner flaps, so the fabric pieces for the front will be smaller. You can include the seam allowances in the calculation.

Anyway, two pillowcases with invisible zippers will require 2 yards of fabric. If you take 58 inches wide fabric, the results will be the same, except you will get more fabric scraps.

A queen-size or standard-size envelope pillow:

From both 45 inches, and 58 inches wide fabric, you can cut out fabrics sufficient for two queen or standard-size pillowcases.

For the front pieces you can use 52.8cm for height and 96cm for width. And for the back pieces you can use 52.8cm for height and 79cm for width. The additional fabric for the inner flap and seam is included here. And it’s applicable for both queen and standard-size pillowcases.

How Much Fabric Is Needed for a Pillowcase in Meters?

A King-size pillowcase is about 0.51 meters by 0.92 meters, a Queen-size pillowcase is about 0.51 meters by 0.76 meters, and a Standard-size pillowcase is about 0.51 meters by 0.56 meters.

This gives you an idea of how much fabric you need for your pillowcases. However, always keep in mind that you need to consider seam allowances and fabric shrinkage. Therefore, you should always purchase some extra fabrics to stay on the safe side.

How Much Fabric for a King Size Pillowcase?

The amount of fabric used for a king-size pillowcase depends on several factors such as pillow size, pillowcase type, type of fabric, fabric width, etc.

Usually, the king-size pillowcase is 20 inches by 36 inches. For this, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ yards of fabric is enough to make a pillowcase with an inner flap. Make sure that the width of the fabric is 45 inches.

Some king-size pillowcases are also measured 20 inches by 40 inches. In this case, not more than 2.5 yards will be required for 2 pillow covers. Whether the width of the fabric is 45 inches or 58 inches, 2.5 yards is enough in both cases.

Apart from the pillow cover with an inner flap, you can make the cover with an invisible zipper. If you plan to make this one, you will need less fabric for 2 king-size pillows. You just need 2.3 yards of fabric with a width of 45 or 58 inches.

As the fabric is likely to shrink in pre-washing, always consider buying slightly more fabric than the specified quantity.

If we talk about the material, then cotton or satin is quite good. You can purchase any color, patterned or contrasting font, and backing fabrics according to your choice. But yes, if you have asthma or allergy problem, then definitely choose a material that is hypoallergenic.

How Much Fabric for a Queen Size Pillowcase?

Queen size pillowcase is slightly smaller than the king size and a bit longer than the standard size. The ideal measure of a pillowcase is 20 inches by 30 inches which fits perfectly on a queen-size pillow. It will require 1 ¼ yard of fabric, and the fabric width should be 45 inches.

Since this type of pillow is thick and fluffy, consider buying a little more. We mean 1 ½ yards of fabric sounds good. As a result, it will nicely cover the pillow after you put the cover on and the pillow will not look baggy.

Make sure to wash and dry the fabric thoroughly before cutting. Iron if necessary. It may shrink a little bit due to washing. So, it’s a wise decision to purchase 10-12% more fabric than required. After getting the required yardage, cut it according to the measurement.

A pillowcase with an inner flap or an invisible zipper, whatever you want to make is entirely up to you. But the pillow cover with an invisible zipper takes slightly less fabric compared to the inner flapped pillow cover. Thus, 1 yard is enough to make a queen size invisible zippered pillow cover.

Again, your pillow will never look beautiful until the pillow cover fits on it perfectly. So, which pillow cover do you intend to make, be sure of the exact size of it. It’s a very key task.

How Much Fabric for a Burrito Pillowcase?

Every comfy pillow in the world deserves a perfectly fitting pillowcase, whether it is home, workplace, or anywhere. A pillow with too large or too tight a pillowcase is not attractive at all.

Besides, sewing is such a fun and artistic activity. If you’re a sewing enthusiast or a beginner seamstress, making a burrito pillowcase can be a great experience for you.

Safe to say, you need fabric for three different sections. Those are the main fabric, the coordinating fabric, and the trim fabric. The main fabric is for the body; the coordinating fabric is to embrace the body and makes it look like a delicious burrito. It’s also called the cuff. Last but not least, the trim fabric will connect the body and the cuff.

Now, let’s see how much fabric you need to make a burrito pillowcase.

• The main fabric: ¾ yard or 27 inches x 40 inches.
• The cuff fabric: ¼ yard or 9 inches x 40 inches.
• The trim fabric: 2 inches x similar width to the main fabric, this would be pressed in half in the process later.

The burrito method is simple, easy to learn, and a great sewing skill to have for making pillowcases. But you don’t want to waste too much fabric or fall short of that. That’s why you need a complete idea of fabric measurements.

How Much Fabric for a Travel Pillowcase?

Traveling is always fun more than anything else. It offers you a reason to live, feel, laugh, and delight in. But it’s very painful in travelling to seat a long time boringly, right? It can cause back and neck pain. Here is no substitute for a super-soft travel pillow to avoid this discomfort.

Usually, the travel pillowcase comes in two different sizes. One of them is 12 inches by 16 inches and another is 14 inches by 20 inches. But 14” x 20” is considered the standard size.

Now, let’s check its fabric requirements. For a 12” x 16” pillowcase, you need ½ yard of fabric for the main body and 1/3 yard for the cuff. If you want to design your pillowcase with a contrast band, add an additional 1/8 yard of fabric. But it’s not always necessary. You can add if you want.

When we come to 14” x 20” size, it requires 5/8 yard of fabric for the main body, 1/3 yard for the cuff, and 1/8 yard for the contrast band.

The type of fabric you use to make the pillowcase is also a factor in determining the amount of fabric. We would suggest buying cotton for the main body and Minky fabric for the cuff. Make sure to pre-wash your fabric before starting your sewing project.

How Much Fabric for a Toddler Pillowcase?

Generally, 13 inches by 18 inches or 14 inches by 19 or 20 inches is considered the standard size of a toddler pillow. The pillow cover size should always be a little larger and wider than the pillow to fit on it perfectly. According to that, the amount of fabric should be determined.

In general, ½ yard of main fabric is enough to make a cozy and perfect-sized toddler pillowcase. Additional fabric for the cuff doesn’t require more than 1/3 yard. Add another 6 inches of accent fabric that comes with a natural and colorful flair to make your pillowcase even more attractive.

Fabric amount may be slightly less or more for several factors, always consider the pillow size to purchase the exact amount of fabric. Before cutting the fabric for the pillow cover, wash and dry the fabric. We suggest you purchase some extra fabrics than you need because the fabric can shrink a bit after washing.

Natural materials such as cotton, satin, or microfibers are ideal for breathable toddler pillowcases. Buy a right-sized pillow that supports your baby’s head and neck equally.

How Many Yards of Fabric Do I Need to Make 2 Pillowcases?

Now that you know how much fabric you need to make a single pillowcase, it’s sure you can figure out the required amount of fabric for 2 pillow cases. But it’s still better to have a confirmed answer, right?

For two pillowcases, the amount of fabric for the main body ranges between 1.5 yards to 3 yards. The pillow size depends on the type of bed actually. Let’s say, for a king-size bed, two king-size pillows require around 2.5 yards of fabric.

But if you’re looking to get two standard-size pillows, around 2 yards of fabric would be enough. This amount stands correct for a queen-size pillow cover too.

It’s safe to buy 2-4 inches of extra fabric. In this way, even if the fabric shrinks after washing or you cut a bit mistakenly, your day will be saved.

It will be a disaster if your pillow cover feels too large or too shrunk for your pillow size. Now that this guide provides you with the correct information and a complete idea about fabric measurements, you should be able to buy your fabric wisely and effectively.

Final Words

Pillowcase helps you in two different ways; it keeps the pillow clean and enhances overall beauty. So, it’s doubtless to ensure an ideal pillowcase in your home. Besides selecting pillowcase fabric, buying the right amount of fabric also needs your attention.

At this point, you already have a clear view of the fabric amount required for different types of pillowcases. Your common sense is also important when selecting the fabric. Now, it’s the right time to pick the necessary fabric and start sewing your beautiful pillowcases.